Flexible carriers are used to carry a wide variety of beverage containers as four-packs, six-packs, eight-packs, ten-packs, twelve-packs and the like. Flexible carriers are carriers which are stretched during application of the carriers to the containers. While the containers can be formed of plastic, metal or glass, the flexible carriers are typically formed of plastic.
One challenge facing the beverage industry has been to achieve a proper balance of friction and slip between the flexible carrier and the filled containers. If the friction is too little, and the slip is too great, then the filled containers may dislodge from the carrier while the multi-container pack is being handled or carried. If the friction is too great, it may be difficult for the consumer to separate the individual containers from the carrier for consumption. Also, machine application of the carrier to the containers becomes more difficult because the gripping jaws of the applicating machine may not release the carrier.
The foregoing challenge is compounded by the incentive to form the flexible carriers from relatively few, inexpensive plastic materials, and the consequent need to adapt these materials to containers of different sizes, shapes, weights and material compositions. The flexible carriers are often formed of polyolefins, such as polyethylene. The containers they carry may vary from a few grams to kilograms in weight; may range from narrow to broad, and short to tall sizes; may be formed of different kinds of plastic, metal or glass; and may have slippery labels or other features that make it difficult to achieve optimal friction between the carrier and the containers.
Efforts have been made to optimize the carrier to container friction in various applications by a) adding varying amounts of slip and other additives which alter the adhesion, and b) varying the amount of tension between the carrier strips and the containers being held. These modifications are sometimes not sufficient to optimize adhesion between the flexible carriers and containers, particularly when the containers are large, heavy and/or have a slippery outer surface.
There is a need or desire for a technology which provides a wider range of possible adjustments to optimize the holding capabilities of flexible carriers.